Stuck Here Forever
by Fear My Butterfly Army
Summary: “I do like it here.” “No you don’t. I want to know why.” “Well than you’ll just be confused forever because I. like. It. Here.”


Jack felt more like a visitor than a Mercer

**A/N: This just popped into my head after seeing the movie for the first time recently. No, this does not mean Home in a World Not My Own will be updated soon. Sorry.**

**Standard disclaimers apply. I don't own Evelyn, Angel, Jerry, Bobby, and Jack. I do own Anders, Jocelyn, and the nameless social worker. **

**OoOoO**

Jack felt more like a visitor than a Mercer.

The other four Mercer's had rituals, habits, things that they did instinctively and thoughtlessly because it was so natural. They had been together so many years that they moved fluidly among themselves. Even Bobby, who would come and go without warning, fit into the scheme of things. Even Jeremiah, who lived at his own place. They and Evelyn (_Ma _he corrected himself, _she's Ma) _and Angel all seemed so much like a _family _and he, well, he felt like just another foster kid.

At the age of eight Jack went into the system. As an eleven year old he realized his chances of adoption were non existent. At twelve he had been kicked out of yet another home, this time for a reason he didn't understand.

Jack had looked at Jocelyn, his social worker, like she was crazy when she had said someone named Evelyn Mercer had adopted him. Apparently his file was exactly the type she took in.

This description alone warned him of the apparent insanity of this woman and he immediately built up his defenses. Unfortunately, the second he walked in the door that was all shot to hell.

Evelyn looked sweet. And then she spoke and you knew no matter what she wouldn't let anything happen to you and in return you would never want to do anything to her.

She then introduced him to Angel, who was a senior, and Jeremiah, who had just moved in with his fiancé, Camille, and was set to marry her fairly soon.

Jack had nodded and been polite, feeling surreal. Or, rather, it all felt surreal. It was a weird feeling after so many years bouncing from place to place that he would walk through a door and know he wasn't leaving before he was eighteen.

Now, nearly a month later and with Bobby again visiting on a "vacation" from hockey, he still felt like one of the foster children that were filtering in and out of here. He didn't know what he had expected that first day. Maybe that he would instantly fit into their happy little weird family with his messy blonde hair and green eyes that set him far away from the appearance of any of his "brothers". Maybe not.

Whatever it was, it most likely wasn't that he would end up a spectator in their lives, clinging to the shadows and tip toeing around them with wary eyes.

None of them had hurt him. Oh, the contrary. They had all been exceptionally nice (except maybe Bobby, who was rather scary, though Jack would never tell him that).

But why did he still fell so far from them all?

A perfect example would be that morning when Bobby had been ribbing everyone just to get a reaction and he had said something to Jack, who had frozen with his fork halfway to his mouth, startled that he had been addressed. Misunderstanding his paralyzed state, Evelyn and Angel had gone after Bobby to apologize to him even though they never did that for any of the other boys.

As he contemplated that, he heard the doorbell ring. He jumped at the sudden noise and poked his head around the corner of the stairs, revealing the front door in full where a tall woman stood next to a fairly gangly brunette boy with awful posture and rather odd glasses.

Jack slowly made his way downstairs, glancing behind him just in time for Angel to pass him by, heading for his mother by the door.

Evelyn was greeting the young boy and woman with the same wide smile she had worn when Jack had come to the house.

The boy entered the house, clutching his duffel bag tightly despite the fact that it obviously had very few items in it. He glanced around the house shiftily, eyes landing first on Evelyn, then Bobby, who was leaning against the wall beside his mother, then Angel, before finally resting on Jack.

"Say hello, Anders," prodded the woman, smiling with faux encouragement that was classic of social workers.

The boy snapped his eyes back to Evelyn, before returning them to Jack. "'Lo…"

Jack shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny.

"Hello, Anders. I'm Evelyn and these are my sons, Bobby, Angel, and Jack," Evelyn motioned them in turn.

Anders nodded, turning to his social worker, "I'll be fine now, thanks."

Looking a bit startled by his declaration the woman nodded and forced yet another smile, "Alright, Anders. Be good and try to get along with everyone."

Then she was gone, leaving the strange boy in the foyer of the Mercer household.

Smiling slightly Anders looked over at Jack as he spoke. "My name's Anders and I'm sorta hungry."

Laughing, Evelyn nodded. "Cone along, then, Anders, and we'll see if we can't find you something to eat."

Anders shrugged, as if deciding that this seemed to be the best course of action out of many, and followed Evelyn out of the room. The three brothers trailed behind, Jack in the back of the group.

They settled in around the table. Bobby, of course, spoke first.

"So, kid, you play hockey?"

Angel rolled his eyes, a small smile playing at his lips. "You think this scrawny little kid can play? He's like a fourth your size!"

"I can," declared Anders, looking away from Jack for one relieving moment, "I've played lots of times. Plus, I'm not scrawny."

"Yeah, you are," insisted Angel, ignoring the boy's comment about hockey.

Anders shrugged, falling silent and returning his gaze to Jack.

More than a bit disconcerted, Jack finally snapped, "Can you stop that?"

"Stop what?" he asked innocently, looking over at Evelyn, who was making grilled cheese sandwiches and silently snickering at the boys. "Where am I going to sleep?"

"Jack," Evelyn started, "Would you mind taking Anders to the guest room?"

Jack shrugged, standing and leaving the room without a word, hoping Anders would follow.

"How old are you?" was the boys first question.

"Twelve."

"How long have you been here?"

"A month."

"Where do you sleep?"

"There," Jack indicated his door as they passed it.

"Why do you not like it here?"

Jack stopped short, spinning to face the kid. "What makes you think I don't like it here?"

Shrugging and looking at Jack with wide eyes, he seemed to measure up the older boy.

"I just do. Why?"

"I _do _like it here."

"No you don't. I want to know why."

"Well than you'll just be confused forever because I. like. It. Here."

Jack shoved open the door to the guest room, which was actually the cleaned up and decorated attic.

"Put your stuff away then come back downstairs." With that short command, Jack turned sharply and left the foster kid standing on in front of his room.

Seconds later, though, Anders had caught up to him. "I'm nine."

"Good for you."

"When you were nine, I was six."

Jack didn't justify the comment with a response, way beyond fed up with the kid.

"I think that maybe I am older than you though."

"Huh. Is that so?"

"Yep. Older people know more stuff and you don't even know why you don't like it here, but I do. That means I'm older."

"No, it means you're younger because I was born three years before you. Plus, that isn't true."

Anders looked like Jack was being difficult, which Jack found to be hypocritical. "I like you."

Luckily, the comment was saved from a response by the pair's return to the kitchen.

"Took you long enough, sweetheart," grunted Bobby through his grilled cheese, "Get lost?"

Jack glared at him, throwing himself into a chair and declining the offered food.

Angel had taken his food and gone to his girlfriend's while the two had been upstairs, leaving his seat beside Jack open. Of course, Anders took that seat.

Evelyn saw this and smiled, letting her grin get bigger when Jack sent him an irritated look.

OoOoO

That night Jack slipped into his room with relief, exhausted from having his own personal walking, talking shadow all day.

He dropped gratefully into bed, pulling the comforters up and sliding his eyes shut, drifting off in seconds.

Then he was shaken awake by small hands. He groaned and blinked groggily through the fatigue that clouded his mind, identifying the figure as Anders.

"Wha' d'you wan'?" he grunted, rolling over before the boy could respond.

"Jack…." Was the whispered response.

He ignored him.

"Jack!"

Silence.

"Jack!"

This time it was accompanied by a rough shaking. Giving up on the silent treatment, Jack rolled over and looked expectantly at the kid.

"Jack, I heard Bobby and Miss Evelyn talking. Miss Evelyn is sad that you don't like it here."

Jack was furious now, ignoring the wince of regret that flared up inside of him. "Leave me alone! I like it here!"

Anders sighed, as if he was trying to be patient with a particularly dumb student. "Jack, you don't. I found out why, though."

Trying to be patient, Jack decided to give it a shot. "Okay, shoot."

Ignoring the sarcasm in Jack's voice, Anders went on, "You are afraid of liking it here."

Jack was about to retort angrily when he paused, thinking about it. It was true… he winced inwardly. How was a nine-year-old that smart?

"You think they're gonna get rid of you but you shouldn't because you're adopted, silly. You're stuck here forever."

Jack nodded slowly.

"Well, that was it. I'm going back to bed now. G'Night."

The door closing behind him startled Jack out of his thoughts and he settled into bed again, this time not drifting off into Morpheus' arms.

OoOoO

The next morning Jack was exhausted. He hadn't slept all night. Trudging down the stairs, he rubbed at his eyes tiredly. Damn kid.

Bobby was already in the kitchen, chatting with Evelyn as she made pancakes for breakfast.

"Hey, Sleeping Beauty," Bobby greeted as Jack walked in.

Jack ignored him, sending a tired smile Evelyn's way when she gave him a grin.

"Jackie, are you all right?" Evelyn seemed to have notice his exhaustion.

Jack nodded.

"Aww… did Jackie Boy not get all his beauty sleep?" fake sympathized Bobby.

"Stop being nasty, Bobby."

Bobby shrugged, "Well, you better be up for hockey, fairy."

Jack glared at him, startling everyone in the room with his response, even himself. "You'd better be up for it, big sister."

There was a long pause before a huge grin slid over Bobby's face. He then laughed shortly. "Welcome to the family, Cracker Jack."

OoOoO


End file.
